1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a device for sealing the seed meter of a planting unit to prevent seeds from passing from the seed reservoir to the seed discharge area when the planting unit is lifted into a horizontal transport position by a vertically folding toolbar.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Agricultural planters plant seeds in rows for later harvesting. Typically a planter comprises a number of individual planting units that are arranged along an elongated toolbar that is towed behind a tractor. Each planting unit plants a single row of seeds and is provided with a seed meter for controlling the rate at which seeds are deposited into a seed trench. To increase farmer efficiency, toolbars have gotten longer and longer and are provided with more and more planting units.
Although large planters with many planting units can plant large acreage in a short period of time, it can be difficult to transport the planter to and from the field to be planted. As such, relatively long toolbars need to be folded to make them more easily transported. One means of folding a toolbar is to vertically fold the outer wings so that they extend vertically upward from the toolbar.
The assignee of the present patent application presently markets a 7300 Vertical-Fold Planter having wings that fold vertically. This planter maybe provided with either eight or twelve individual planting units. In the eight row configuration, each vertically folded wing is provided with two planting units, and a stationary center section that is provided with four planting units. As the wings are pivoted vertically, the planting units pivot from a vertical planting configuration into a horizontal transport configuration.
Manufacturers of vertically folding planters recommend that the operator either remove the hopper/seed meter assembly or empty seed from the planting units on the wings before folding the wings and moving the planting units into the horizontal transport configuration. This prevents seed leakage through the seed meter, and poor operation of the seed meter by overloading the seed meter when the seed meter is initially operated after transport.